Do you know what many women got ‘hooked’ to during the lockdown? Hooked to crochet. The craft found so many takers that it led to the formation of collectives and communities, some even pan-Indian. Among the lot was The Starlings, a small, vibrant group comprising women. Brainchild of Kochi-based Sanjana Shafik and Kollam-based Aysha S Kabeer, the community at present has 25 active members, some of whom are based outside Kerala and in West Asia.

It was Olam, a cultural festival annually held in Thiruvananthapuram, which set the stage for the formation of Starlings. “I met Aysha at one of the editions of Olam. We kept in touch and since we both knew a lot of women who crochet, we formed a WhatsApp group, Crochet Friends. There came a point when we thought of forming a community, especially to undertake orders. The concept was that if I get an order and I cannot complete it, I pass it on to another member in the group. We discussed it within Crochet Friends which then had 50-60 members. Out of them 35 showed interest and thus Starlings was formed,” says Sanjana, a marketing manager.

Within a few months, they got a bulk order from a Hyderabadi client, settled in the US. “The order was for Amigurumi toys and they needed it for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We discussed the pattern, design, rates etc amongst us before the work was distributed. We could execute the order worth ₹10 lakhs,” she adds.

Aysha adds, “The transition from a WhatsApp group to a community has done us all good. There is no ego or competition even though most of us make the same products. Also, Starlings has gone a long way in preventing resellers from exploiting those who sell products at a lower price.”

Apparently resellers contact members on their personal pages and ask them to sell the products cheaper. “Some fall for it. But they now know that these resellers cannot undermine the value of a product that demands so much effort,” say Sanjana and Aysha.

Amigurumi toys are the hot-sellers. Other products include home decor range featuring wall hangings, crochet plants, flowers, flower pots etc, rattles, plushies, key chains, baby set, dresses, booties, shoes, bags, pouches, key chains, car hangings, and accessories.

Sanjana adds that a specific amount is set aside as commission on each order. The amount thus accumulated is used to meet the expenses while conducting an exhibition.

The responsibilities are divided among members, be it handling accounts, social media content, exhibition inventory or executing express orders. “When we hold an exhibition, members from that particular region take charge of the event, be it Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kannur or Mangalore,” Sanjana says.

For example, Sreeja Renjith and Megha V Nair take care of exhibitions in Thiruvananthapuram. “Even though I picked up crochet long ago, I revived the interest during lockdown. I started out selling dresses and coasters and now I am fully into Amigurumi toys. Crochet products are in demand as birthday or wedding gifts. A few months ago, we had made these toys for the children at the paediatric ward at Regional Cancer Centre. I also get orders for personalised dolls,” Sreeja says.

Sanjana adds that many clients contact them for customised products, like those based on sports personalities and anime or cartoon characters. “Some send the paintings their children had done and request a work based on that. We do the best we can. Once I got a request from a mother for a key chain that showed her husband in a superhero avatar carrying their child. Then there are people who ask for products in memory of their pets.”

The members point out that crochet is more than just a passion for them. “In my case, it helped me to overcome stress and frustration after I had to sit at home unemployed in spite of being a graduate. It helps you focus because the craft is about keeping the count of knots. It is an extremely productive hobby,” points out Aysha.

The members hold online classes as well for crochet enthusiasts. “The Starlings is like a family; we are here as a team in spite of having our individual pages for orders and not having had a meeting,” Sanjana says.

Contact The Starlings on their website thestarlingsco.com or Instagram handle, @thestarlingsco